The First Five Years of Priesthood: A Study of Newly Ordained Catholic Priests

by Dean R. Hoge, Jackson W. Carroll, Robert J. Silva

Written Dean R. Hoge (Professor of Sociology at The Catholic University of America), The First Five Years Of The Priesthood: A Study Of newly Ordained Catholic Priests) is the gathered knowledge from interviews with five hundred priests who were within five years of ordination and seventy-two recently ordained priests who had resigned. Examining both the reasons why 10 to 15 percent of newly ordained priests resign (loneliness, feeling unappreciated, problems with celibacy and disillusionment are among the main causes) and the advice that active priests have for those seeking to serve in ministry, The First Five Years Of The Priesthood is fascinating and strongly recommended reading for anyone considering becoming a Catholic priest or who has an interest in contemporary trends within clergy of the Roman Catholic Church.